Molecular analysis of hypervirulent somatic hybrids of the entomopathogenic fungi Beauveria bassiana and Beauveria sulfurescens.

ABSTRACT: Protoplast fusion of diauxotrophic mutants of a Beauveria bassiana entomopathogenic strain (Bb28) and a Beauveria sulfurescens toxinogenic strain (Bs2) produced hybrids which were significantly different from the parents in pathogenicity. Some of the hybrids were hypervirulent and killed insects more quickly than the Bb28 strain, probably because these hybrids had acquired the toxic activity of the Bs2 strain. By using six nuclear genes and a telomeric fingerprint probe, the molecular structures of the hybrids were studied. The results demonstrated the occurrence of parasexual events. Hybrids appeared to be diploid or aneuploid, with portions of the genome being heterozygous. A mitochondrial molecular marker indicated homoplasmy of the hybrids and inheritance of mitochondria from strain Bs

SUBMITTER: Viaud M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC124676 | biostudies-literature | 1998 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature